Ankgor Watt- The Ruins of the Jungle

Today we begin with our delightful traditional breakfast of toast, rice, and eggs, with some type of sausage as well. Soon after we head out and to our delight our "Tour Guide" is our driver from the airport! He gives us a low down on the itinerary for the day, saving THE Angkor Watt for our last temple visit and then rounding out the day watching the Sunset. (good, right??)

 Ankgor Watt

Made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992

It was first a Hindu Temple, but later when Buddhism took over, 

many of the wall murals were changed so the Hindu gods became Buddha

We began with Bayon Temple, our tour guide (I should really start writing down their names as they say them) dropped us off and let us go explore the complex.  As we were staring up at the massive temple, trying to take it all in, a young man approached me and asked if I wanted to climb to to top of one of the towers.

The front face of it had worn steep stairs, (and for someone with a fear of stairs, it was not at all a pleasant sight, but the adventurous side of me won..) but the back had stairs that were still just as steep, but were slightly more intact.

So up I went, with the thought that I am going to hate coming down these. The view was worth it, there was many smiling Buddha and my friend even caught just the right angle so I could be nose to nose with Buddha.

Jamie found us eventually and came up to enjoy the view, which was beautiful, did I mention how gorgeous it is here??  PS no touch up, just raw photograph!

Then came the dreaded part of going down. You have to go down with your foot turned to the side, and even then only half your foot is on the step... I wish it was one of those things you could just close your eyes and be done with it, but that seemed a little to risky for obvious reasons.

From there our new found friend gave us the complete tour of the temple and all its highlights. At the end, he gave us his shpill on how he was a student at the school for tour guides (who knew they had a school like that??) and asked for a donation to help his friends in the Orphanage. Being skeptical but kind, I gave him some money. He seemed disappointed at the amount, not because it was small but because I am American and we are "loaded with money". I suppose that is my cross to bear in exchange for the privilege of traveling.


From their we went to the next temple across the way, however this one was a working(??) temple so unless you had pants/skirt that covered the knees*, you weren't allowed in. I was wearing shorts that day, so I waited outside while Jamie went exploring. While she was in the temple, I did check out some of the royal palace that was situated right next to the temple.

We headed with our driver to Angkor Thom, once again he dropped us off as we went on our way. Both of these places are very cool, and I would suggest seeing them as well as Ankgor Wat. There is a lot more opportunity for exploring in these temples as there aren't as many tourists. The Cambodian gov't is working on restoring these places so there are some places that you can't enter, but I didn't feel like I missed out on anything.  We did find this very cool Tree...

Lunch was a grand occasion, we stopped at one of the local tourist restaurants and were seated in the AC portion. Like all of Asia, the bathroom is an adventure, just don't plan on clean bathrooms or TP outside of your hotel and you'll be just fine. This place was better then most, with your choice of Western toilets or squatters. But it is mandatory (by my decree) that you try a squatter at least once.
After lunch we went to Angkor Wat. What an amazing temple, with a gorgeous reflection in the pond in front, and a small tourist market to the side. There are monks that still practice back behind the market, and there is a small graveyard back there as well, with the massive memorials.

To end our day we went for a hike up this hill that had a great view, due to language barrier/accent, we misheard our tour guides instructions that we were watching the sunset up there. It was a great view of the area, but with signs that said "close at 5:30" we assumed everyone had to be off the hill. But apparently that just means no more admittance after 5:30. So we tragically had to watch the sunset from in front of Ankgor Wat.. Hard life I know.

We returned to the hotel for dinner, and finally got our Margherita pizza with our ever favorite smoothie. MMMMmmmm So good!! Jamie and I decided to go exploring down the street, and found the night market. At first glance it was a small market, but it's a TRICK! It has alleys of stalls that just keep leading you further and further down. The one time I decide I want something, there is no one around.. Typical.  But we have some great finds, including a painting of cambodian fisherman, coconut bowls, and a cute dress for Jamie. And with that we decided to call it a night.

*When Traveling thru the world, especially Asia, I have found it convenient to carry a scarf to cover the arms/head, and a back-up skirt/pants. As I don't understand Asian culture, I might not have prepared as well as I should have, AKA not dressed appropriately. In the Western world, and even a little bit in the Middle East, I understand the general dress code protocol.

All in all I loved our stay at Tanei Guesthouse in Seim Reap and will stay there again if I'm ever in the area, which I hope to be.

Unplanned adventures in Cambodia: Day 1 & 2

Oh Sweet Beautiful Cambodia!!!
Even though our beginning was a little rough, after all who would want to leave Phuket Paradise, you more then made up for it in the end!
We started off flying in on an itt-bitty plane. While normally I love a thrill and a rush of adrenaline, this flight was something else. Being a little plane you really feel all the changes in the wind.

We finally landed at Siem Reap international airport, where we walked inside to distribute the pile of forms they gave to us on the plane to fill out. First off as you walk inside there is a metal-detector type machine you walk thru. Second glance and I realized it was a heat sensor, so if anyone was ill, the officials would know, luckily, despite the beautiful sunburn, I made it thru.  Visa desk, whew never seen anything like it. Behind this tall long desk are a bunch of officials, and they each have a job to do with the visa. The first person you pay $20 (or $22 if you don't have a passport size photograph with you), then proceed down to the end of the desk and wait for your passport. In the meantime while the officials are waiting for the passport to come their way, they keep things real by YouTube-ing it up! Something new.. Health forms, declaring your health, are just dropped in a basket on your way out.

We gathered our luggage, somehow Jamie's always comes out before mine... I don't understand. And head outside to wait for our pickup, courtesy of the hotel. It was great, I always fantasized about rickshaws and here I got a real one!! We hopped in and headed to our place, just a short 15 min away. Driving on our way it was a mix of a tourist town meets a small country town. There are many pizza shops(so random) tucked away in the side streets, and run by whole families.

After check in we both decided to get massages, for $10 they would come to your room and give an hour long massage. Not just any massage, this was nothing like the traditional American massage, and it was delightful. First off you stay fully clothed and just lay on the bed. Then these cute little girls take control of every limb and use their full body to massage as well. So wonderful. We finally came out of our stupor after they left and wondered down to dinner. We have a weird tradition of getting a margherita pizza at every city we stop in, but sadly they were out, tonight and next night as well, but they had our smoothies. So we would never think of complaining.

During the massage I felt a little off, but figured I just needed food since we hadn't really eaten all day. However once back in our room after dinner, my stomach rebelled. But not in a flu or food poising way, my mind was super alert and fine. Jamie laughed because I would leave in such a happy attitude to go puke. Between the both of us we came prepared to nurse a small contingency of helpless travelers. By morning, I was exhausted, so I spent the day sleeping and eventually went out to find Jamie by the pool. I was feeling well enough for some light food, so I asked if I could get some toast, they were so cute and a little confused, but they delivered, which is probably when I fell in love with Cambodia.

I spent the rest of the day by the pool, or sleeping, (mostly the latter). Jamie, bless her heart, was so sweet and just entertained herself, even though I know it drives her crazy to stay in so long. She did explore our street and watched the sunset for both of us. Ending the day with dinner downstairs, we made a new friend with one of the staff. He is quite hilarious, and very helpful. If I could pronounce his name, I would write it down. But I get lost on names after the first syllable. 

So here is to the unplanned adventures!

Making it count: our last day in Phuket

Day 3

We awoke to a lovely morning, which of course meant it was time for the beach!!!

Thailand is known for their gorgeous beaches. Phuket is the most well known spot out of all Thailand. But 1st we were going Zorbing.

 We grabbed a tuk tuk and gave him the address (let it be known, they may say they know the address... not always true, so plan extra time and be ready for an adventure.) 

Our driver got us to Patong beach, and informed us it was just up "this" drive...(he pointed his finger at our next right, where some hotels were at) So we naively believed him, you would think we would be smarter, but the sun was shining and we were on a happiness high from all the beauty around us. 

We walked over to "that" drive.. nothing. We asked the people around... they knew nothing about it either. 

On their website, for Rollerball,  it says they are 2 minutes from Patong beach, just after the Sunset Resort. Since we are girls, we stopped and asked for some directions, and while the guy didn't know about the Zorbing, he did recognize the hotel. ** In the defense of Rollerball, they offer a free pickup from your Patong beach hotel, or if you want to pay a little extra they will pick you up at your hotel outside of Patong. You should probably take them up on that offer** After stopping to take some photos and meeting a friendly German couple, who kindly offered to take our picture followed by a group of guys from Australia asking us to take pictures for them, we were once again back on our way. 

We finally made it to the resort and found a sign pointing us in the right direction, right up a steep hill. Needless to say, we got a great workout and enjoyed the water event even more. 

The staff was super helpful and nice. Jamie and I decided to share a ball (the more the merrier) and chose the "jagged" course.

What an adventure, they have about 40 litres of water in the ball to keep it slick, so you don't start sticking to the sides. To get in, you dive thru the opening into the water, and then they seal off the opening and off you go down the course. The first time is exhilarating as you figure out what is happening, as your are being bounced around. You finally end with a "whomp". You hop out and onto their truck, loaded with the ball and speedily head up to the top for another go. This was a blast, if you don't believe me check out these reviews.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297930-d2520135-Reviews-Rollerball_Zorbing_Phuket-Patong_Kathu_Phuket.html 

The staff took us back down to Patong beach where we did, maybe a little to much, shopping.  I can't help it. I am a sucker for bargaining and unique/culture things, especially clothes and jewelry. But it is all part of the experience, and you can find everything down there. Need a new purse, there are plenty "name brand" purses to choose from. Need some perfume, no problemo. Makeup,? on every street they are selling MAC. Airlines lost your luggage? get a complete outfit just walking down one street. I'm sure there were guy things as well.. I just paid a little less attention to them.

They also have killer crepe carts along the road, so naturally I devoured a mango crepe and it was heavenly! 

We ended our day playing in the waves, and drying in the sun before we headed home for dinner at Eleven & Co. except, SURPRISE!!! all of walking street was closed!!! SoWon Chons it was for our good bye meal of delectable Pad Thai & Mango Crepe.  

All in all I loved Phuket, if you are looking for a Hawaii with a cultural spin on it, Phuket is the place. Massages on the beach for $10-$15, jet boat rentals (also cheap), parasailing, snorkeling, restaurants overlooking the beach. With it being low-season we had plenty of opportunities and lots of space.  

Day2 in Phuket Paradise

I love lazy mornings, Jamie... not so much. She did pass the time by playing Bejeweled and letting me sleep, since jet lag finally caught up to me. So Sunday morning, after sleeping in, we headed over to the weekend market, just down the street from where we were staying. However, turned out that is was a night market, so we jumped on the back of a motorcycle taxi and headed to Wat Chalang. 

Wat Chalang is a Buddhist temple, and it is amazing. There is a mixture of tourists, drivers, worshipers, and even a wedding couple. The bride is beautiful in her traditional wedding wear, and the groom looks like Prince Charming. As we enter the temple, after removing our shoes, we are stunned by the beauty of the murals and the many statues of Buddha.

 

My Favorite part are all the elephants!

As we continue on we are assaulted by the sound of loud popping, like gun shots. Our eyes quickly scanned the courtyard, via the window, searching for some chaos, but everyone was calm as day (never got that expression.. maybe days were calmer back in the day??) So we attributed it to a one time occurrence someone light the firecrackers in celebration of the Bride and Groom who looked like they were straight out of a fairy tale, the classics, you know? Like Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.
Anywho, I've gone off topic, back to Firecrackers. The rest of our time spent there we heard Firecrackers probably 7 times!

**come to find out, according to Phuket.com, & Justluxe.com  the act of Lighting Firecrackers is to show gratitude for an answered prayer and thus celebrating their good fortune**

 

The Lovely Gardens

All in all I loved the simple elegance of this Buddhist temple, complete with all the minor details. If you are traveling thru Phuket I would definitely recommend stopping by Wat Chalang, if for nothing more then a good healthy heart pounding start to your day, when you find yourself a little to close to the oven meant for Firecrackers.

 

From Wat Chalang we hailed a motorcylce taxi and headed up to Big Buddha, which completely lives up to its name. It was quite the hill for our motorcycle to climb with 3 people, but once at the top the view was gorgeous, and the was monks reading scripture over the speakers completed the scene.

 

Heading back home, proved to be quite the feat. Our driver got lost several times, despite his original reassurance that he knew the street we lived on, in "old" downtown Phuket.
We eventually made it after help from some very helpful ladies at one of the resorts, and another kind soul at the market near our place where we were eventually dropped off. 
Times like this I realize how much we are at the mercy of others, and rather then being upset, it is better to roll with the punches and realize we will eventually make it, but at the moment we are having an adventure, and there is nothing I can do, so enjoy. 
I LOVED traveling by motorcycle and would encourage anyone else who is brave enough to trust a complete stranger with their lives, to travel this way as well. 

The Sunday Market was a blast, located on Walking Street, along Thalong Road, the street is closed for the day while everyone sets up for the evening. It was so fun just to wander around and experience the carnival like atmosphere with the food, the dancers and the vendors. (we found more 'handmade' unique things here, then any other shopping in Thailand) The Market doesn't open till 4pm so the vendors all bring lights and make it a night market. The street also has a network of colored changing lights.

 

Such Cute Performers!

Another place I suggest, that we didn't go is The Point by Patong beach, it is the last place the sun sets, and has some gorgeous views. 

We also researched Memorials from the December 26, 2004 earthquake and resulting Tsunami. One that seemed more prominent is an underwater plaque near Tonsai Bay/Krabi. Do your research on this one. It has some cool significance. 

Khao Lak/Phi Phi Island Police boat- another notable memorial is the Police boat that was washed a shore, at the time it was on duty for the Royal family. It was never moved and has since been set up as a memorial.

Buddhism Weekly Holy days are based off the Lunar Cycle, Full Moon, New Moon, and the 2 half moons. Important to know, since many shops, and restaurants are closed on those days... (Info found on http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/147862-what-is-buddhist-holy-day-of-the-week/) 

The magic of phuket

*** sometimes just to keep everyone on their toes! I post things out of order on accident, oh wait! I was supposed to say on purpose. Cats out of the bag, I forgot to post this one, so here is DAY ONE of Phuket!***

Picture this, a ride out to your 'jet boat' from the island, on a long tail boat, followed by jumping onto the ship. Once you're on you head to the bow of the boat (or the stern, whichever is front facing) to soak up the sun and the spray and splash of the sea water below.  The scenery is beautiful, islands reaching incredible heights out of the ocean blue, literally, complete with white sand beaches, and covered in greenery. The cliffs of these islands are fascinating, with all their crevices and overhangs. 

This place is surreal, and the stop-off on Phi-Phi island completes it like a cherry on top.  Colorful boats dotting the bay, markets, offers of massages, beach goers out in full force, the only thing that could make it better is a smoothie. 

Oh wait, turn the corner and your in luck. A smoothie stall with a sumptuous variety of fruit.  Mango is a classic, but watermelon is what you go for, and it doesn't disappoint. After bargaining with vendors, a pedicure, and a stop off for lunch and wifi, you board the boat yet again for the final stretch to Phuket. On board you find your companions are a trio of older adventurers, and a group of college aged vacationers. Both groups keep you entertained.

Arrival into Phuket's port proves to be an adventure, all the luggage is stacked on top of each other, and your fellow travelers rush to get off the boat, which means crossing 2 other boats to get to the dock.  From there we are split into groups depending on where we are headed. You head to old Phuket, a little unsure of what to expect, but it proves to be worth it.  Your hotel is cute, literally, with lots of colors and a 'candy shop meets Hello Kitty' theme, it is worth the stay. 

For dinner you head down the street, the girls at the hotel desk suggested a place, but you can't quite remember what it is.. After lots of wondering you stumble upon Won Changs, a delicious conglomerate  of themes, and food. 

Walking home you pass one of the best restaurants you've ever seen. 'B Cats'. Not only is it a restaurant, but you can also get your quality cat time in as well.. (Something's are better left separate, and I think this might be one of them)

Habits of sleeping

After visiting tiger kingdom and seeing all the sleeping tigers, I realized a lot of animals sleep a lot! Dogs, horses, cats, snakes.. They eat and sleep, and run around when the burst of energy hits them. Otherwise they are out.

But then I got thinking about ants, do they ever sleep? Or frogs, or fish? How bout insects?? I know that most of them have a shorter life span... I like to think it is due to the fact they are running around with little sleep... So dear world, I think I will continue my sleeping habit of nap taking...